Sports Integrity Briefs – 4 May 2016

• Two Polish weightlifters have tested positive for the use of human growth hormone (HGH). In a statement, the Polish Commission Against Doping in Sport, said that the organisation had started an investigation into the findings and was currently waiting a decision from the athletes on whether they wanted to have their B samples tested.

• A professional football player for AC Cesena, who play in Italy’s second division (Serie B), has been given a ‘precautionary suspension’ after failing a doping test. In an official statement on AC Cesena’s website, the club said that one of tis players, Nicola Dal Monte, had tested positive for metabolic clostebol. The statement also said that the drug was widely used to treat skin lesions, and was confident that its player would clarify that it had consumed the drug for ‘therapeutic purposes without any intention to alter performance’.

• The International Biathlon Union (IBU) has lifted the provisional suspension on Russian biathlete Eduard Latypov, who tested positive for meldonium during the IBU cup earlier this year. Following guidance issued by WADA in April about meldonium concentrations and excretion times, the IBU asked its Anti-Doping Hearing Panel to lift Latypov’s suspension.

• The Supreme Court of Victoria in Australia has dismissed a lawsuit from James Hird, the former Head Coach of Australian Football League (AFL) club Essendon. Hird sued the club’s insurer, Chubb Insurance, for refusing to pay for his failed challenge against the lawfulness of an investigation conducted by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA). Hird had alleged that ASADA had illegally used the AFL’s contractual powers to force Essendon players to attend interviews with ASADA.

• The Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK) was yesterday admitted as a member association of UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations. At the Ordinary UEFA Congress, the FFK received 28 votes in favour and 24 against, and was therefore admitted on a simple majority. In response, the Director of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and the Serbian Sports and Youth Ministerreportedly held a press conference saying that they would help the Football Association of Serbia (FSS) oppose UEFA’s decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

• The former assistant coach of Zimbabwe’s national football team has reportedly become the latest suspect in a football match-fixing case to appear to appear in court on match-fixing charges. According to news site All Africa, Nation Dube, who was implicated in the case at the beginning of the Zimbabwe Football Association’s (ZIFA) investigations, is alleged to have been paid to leak the list of players in an African Cup of Nations qualifier to prospective match-fixers. He was reportedly released on USD $100 bail until 24 May. A player for the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League side Highlanders FC was also reportedly summoned for an interview by ZIFA lawyers to see if he could be used as a witness, but Knox Mutizwa was deemed ‘irrelevant to the case’.